Fall of Ouroboros
by marmalade bunny
Summary: By law of equivalent exchange, you must lose something of value to gain something of equal value. What about all that is lost? Are they truly lost?
1. Prologue

_You think the price too steep,_

 _A drop of blood is all that we seek,_

 _The talents are for you to keep,_

 _Never a word shall you speak,_

 _Let your memory of here sleep._


	2. Chapter 1: Waking Nightmare: Part 1

The gentle rocking of the train always put Edward to sleep; the visibly creased newspaper lay folded on his lap, his arms folded across his chest, his head resting against the window; the train had picked up speed hours ago and the scenery was nothing much but a blur of colours. Within reach, lay a diary and a pencil trapped between the hard wood and the soft but resilient pages helplessly rolled in hope to find an escape. It had been roughly seven months since the brothers set forth on their respective journeys to gain knowledge, Edward decided to head west and Alphonse set for east.

With nothing but the sound of the chugging train and the rapping of the pencil against its prison, Edward found himself slowly drifting to sleep. He could feel it creeping over his eyes, slowly closing them shut, pulling him into the darkness…he stood in an all familiar whiteness, a pale grey door loomed over him; it bore no marks, all had been scratched away, it was faded and very worn. It was cool to touch and refused to heave. Edward could hear himself chuckling, which soon turned to a belly aching laugh, patting the old door as an old friend, he turned on his heel to leave when he heard the gate creak open. Before he even could breathe in, a flood of screams poured out through the door. It was a painful concoction of deafening shrieks and screeches and maniacal laughter. No matter how hard he tried, Edward was unable to run, and he clawed vainly at the ground as he was dragged back into the abyss. He could hear himself beg, eyes blurred with tears. "Edward" came a voice from behind, "Save me, Edward, come home to Mother" continued the haunting voice as frosty hands gripped his face, "Let go" it hissed and he could feel its lip curl up in a smile and sunk its sharp teeth into his shoulder. "Ed…ward…"

Edward woke up with a sudden jolt; his brow wet with sweat and was on all fours. When they could, the brothers often spoke despite the distance. The nightmares started roughly around the same time and was more or less the same- the old door, the screaming, the voices; neither knew what they meant, they dared not wait for the dreams to finish. It ate them both because they could not shake off the nagging feeling that something awaited them behind those door, something desperately making its way to them.

* * *

" _Do you think they will come?"_

" _In search of Truth they shall, for this is the beginning and this the end, this is where Truth comes to die"._

* * *

The metal snake let out a sigh of relief as it crawled into the station and to a complete stop, a reprieve to its aching body. The last of the passengers and luggage trickled out as the door slid open.

The snake groaned just a bit as Edward stepped off onto the visibly bare station. Both the beast and the young adult treasured the respite offered by the fresh air and the strong stable footing of the ground. A few idle leaves rushed to greet the blonde-haired, smacking into his face with every warmth and strength they could muster.

"Ed…ward"came a whisper from behind.

The boy swept so fast, making his head spin and trip on his luggage. "Edward", came the voice again, it was closer than before. He frantically looked about him, he never felt so helpless and in dire need of his alchemy. "Brace yourself Edward, look beyond", the voice tickled his ear, a word of defiance escaped him before he felt the darkness creep in again. Unlike the earlier dreams, this time he could smell the distinct burning smell of flesh mixed with gunpowder, the ground was soaked with blood and decaying flowers, debris took bloom in the ruins. "Please…no more…" his choking voice muttered as the ghosts of the past tore the ground, their sorrowful faces inches away from his. From the depth of the shadows, the vociferous sound of wings and metal bellowed bearing the weight of a living skeleton. From the corner of his eye, he could see a silhouette approach, "Edward, come to me, find your way to me" the silhouette spoke in a gentle encouraging tone. His outstretched fingers barely touched the edges of her train when much to his horror unseen monsters began to pull his his hand apart, finger pad by finger pad, digit by digit, slowly evaporating- the skin, the muscles, blood, tissues, bones- turned into vapour and merging into the fog. He could not even make out whether or not he was crying or whether all this was real or another waking nightmare.

Amidst all the noises, a clear cracking sound broke through the barrier. It got set into a rhythm and like an arrow, pierced through the un-seemingly impenetrable wall bringing with it a faint voice. Repeatedly, it repeated a word, hoping that it will reach the boy. "Edward", it finally plunged through it all, breaking through the shield-wall. Blindly, the boy swung a punch in the direction of the voice only to meet a firm unyielding hand, "Brother!" the startled voice broke through the trance.

"Al…Alphonse..." Edward blinked in astonishment as he absorbed the fact that it was in fact his brother standing in front of him, in flesh and blood."What are you doing here?", "I am not so sure myself, I was pursuing a lead to this city where they practice this forbidden Alchemy but I was more successful in counting sheep and missed the station. I had the feeling that I had to be here so I was waiting at the other end of the platform when I thought I saw you alight from the train; do you know where we are?" Alphonse inquired as he helped his brother onto his feet. Mutely shaking his head, the elder one collected himself, "Perhaps we should ask the Station Master".

Lo and behold, empty station! The scared leaves now gathered at their feet, seeking protection from the approaching unknown.

In an attempt to set an example to the trembling foliage, the brothers made their way to what they could make out to be the ticket counter. With its stained and cracked windows, the counter looked more like a portal to a gypsy's world. Alphonse had to press his face into the glass to see if there was anyone, but a plaque card adorned in muted red colours with the words, "Closed, come back later" sat in place of the station master.

"Looks like we need to find shelter for the night", dejectedly Alphonse informed his brother.


	3. Chapter 2: Waking Nightmare: Part 2

'Welcome to Amasqe' read the notice at the local tavern aptly named The Dingy Pot. One had to bend to enter burrow shaped place and still manage to hit their head on the door beam. Once you did triumph in squeezing your body through the rabbit door, better to suck in your gut if you wish to have enough space to move without having to belly-rub a fellow patron.

Despite the crowd, the brothers were able to find a room for the night, safely tucked away in the deceptively comfortable attic.

"Which town were you heading to?" Edward asked as he flopped on the not so soft bed but a definite change from the hard train seats. "I don't know the name of the town yet, I read and re-read books, notes, journals but in all of them, the name of the town has been blotted out or ripped out! Only the word Truth seems to be repeated and something known as Blood Alchemy." "You too?" Edward sat up, "I read about this art too. I thought it was a hoax until I met one person who on his deathbed showed me that he too could transmutate without a circle but before I could ask anything more, he begged me to give the last of the flowers to his wife and he passed away with a satisfactory smile". Trying to stifle a yawn Alphonse told his brother that it was time they slept and leave all the unanswered queries for the morrow.

Before the strike of the hour, sleep had sewn their eyes shut. The softness of the bed enveloped Alphonse, drawing him into the world of familiar comfort. The smell of baking apples tickled his nose and his now human hands could feel the giggling blades of grass. The blue sky was specked with white dancing clouds. As he smiled with joy, he felt something wet touch his fingertips. His eyes widened in horror as he saw Nina, trapped in her chimera form, sitting next to him, her hollow eyes staring into his. "Let's... play" it muttered before mutating into a monstrous form, eyes rolled back into its head and hot lava like saliva dribbled from its open mouth. One heavy paw crushed Alphonse's throat, pushing him further into the ground. While he was struggling to remove the paw, he felt pincers twisting his heart. The guffawing chimera disappeared as his whole body crushed inwards; the mocking sky was tickled red. To make it worse, something was trying to escape his collapsing body; Alphonse could feel and see the lump growing in his chest, panicked, the body tried clawing his chest open while the wind howled. "Alphonse…find me" a gentle voice whispered in his ears, at that very moment, his chest burst open and a tree-like entity took root, the branches carrying the remnants of his armour, shamelessly raised their heads while the roots made their way up his chest and proudly sprouted from his mouth.

Hearing the suffocated breathing of his brother, Edward bolted right out of bed and shook his brother awake. Feebly Alphonse rolled onto the floor, coughing out saliva and gasping for air. The brothers managed to sleep in the early morning hours, Alphonse rested his head on his brother's lap while Edward, protectively looked over his little brother.


	4. Chapter 3: Course Correction

Sipping their warm tea and munching on what seemed closest to toast, the brothers were still groggy from the previous night's ordeal, "I cannot take it anymore", Alphonse groaned while Edward patted his younger sibling's head, "Neither can I".

Their attention shifted back to the art of Blood Alchemy. From the scraps of notes, they gathered that it had to do with the manipulation of blood, "It could be a Philospher's Stone," Alphonse mumbled recollecting a previous adventure the brothers shared, the practice of Blood Alchemy at that time was nothing but the misuse of a Philosopher's Stone. "True but the idea has to originate from somewhere. Maybe we can find a library here; I just remembered that the city of Amasqe once housed secrets, some of which later found their ways into the books we read."

Unable to contain herself, the portly barmaid cum owner, waddled over to them and informed that the Mayor tore down the library to make space for a grand hall but the librarian kept some of the salvaged books and he lived just down the lane and would be happy for the company. Delighted, the boys expressed their eagerness to visit the librarian and equally excited woman packed them lunch and snacks.

Making haste, they made their way to a dilapidated cottage and were greeted by the aged and ailing librarian. Happy to accept hot cakes as compensation, the librarian was a patient ear and after hearing what the boys were seeking, he fetched a book no thicker than his thumb. "Sadly, this is all that is there. Writing about the art was completely forbidden and this is all there is. All I can tell you that it is real, and it has mainly been used for healing."

While he enjoyed the cakes, the boys pored over the worn words, which spoke of manipulation of elements without a transmutation circle. There were drawings of horned people with halos, of weapons that belonged in a museum. If they did not know any better, the young men would have thought the book to be the mad ramblings of a deluded man.

'Αλήθεια' was scribbled in the corner of the pages. "What does this term mean?" they asked the librarian. "Oh, Alítheia, that is the Greek word for Truth." The last page of the notebook had Αλήθεια/Verité furiously scribbled all over it. "Would you happen to know what Verité is?" Alphonse asked as he set fresh pot of tea on the gas. "Correction my boy, Verité is a city, a lost city. I met the author of the book once; he was mad by that time, spoke in riddles and said that the city rose from the depths of the desert that is to the north of this city. In my youth, I followed the directions but found nothing, maybe you youngsters will have better luck." Nodding to himself, the librarian gave them the well preserved but tattered note.


	5. The Lost Riddle

_Seekers of Truth,_

 _Follow your shadow until you see it no more,_

 _Leave behind all joys,_

 _Drown in the pain of your sorrows,_

 _Embrace despair like a dear friend,_

 _You must be lost completely,_

 _Before you can knock on our doors._


	6. Chapter 4: Verite

The heat ate their feet through their shoes, the dry wind robbed them of water and food, sand replaced the blood their hearts pumped. Scorpions found refuge in their long discarded jackets, the cawing crows pulled on the last of their sanity. Before long, a blanket of soft golden sand covered them.

Like waves greeting the beach, soft murmuring swept over the exhausted sleeping boys, the soothing voices sent them into a dreamless slumber, the first they had in days.

"They made it. Take them to the city, they have earned their rest".

The light swaying bobbing motion woke Edward, though his vision was blurred, he could make out that he was being carried, to be more precise, someone was carrying him on their shoulder! He turned to find Alphonse subjected to the same fate. Gulping in air, Edward was determined to put up a fight when a thunderous voice boomed above him, "If you squirm, I will throw you to the desert beasts. We have been expecting you Fullmetal."

In the next moment, both Edward and Alphonse found themselves on their feet and before them stood pillars in the midst of the lonely vacant desert, titivated with statues of smooth stone and metal.

It should have been night, maybe it was a trick of the eyes but the morning sun glistened off the contours of the statues, their faces showed no warmth. In contrast to the ruins they guarded, the statues reflected a life anew. A marriage of stone and metal, polished hands held decorated swords; it was far too mesmerizing for the young men to take in.

"Fullmetal!" spoke one of the 'statues', the startled boys watched as one of the living 'statues' unfurled metal wings and swooped down. Slowly, the other statues followed, they were _alive_.

"Welcome to Verité"


	7. Chapter 5: The Familiars of the Seers

Time had swept away the footprints of those who had once graced the city. Age slowly broke the resolves of those left behind and death eagerly gnawed on their bones.

The healed were now ashes; the regal buildings shed away their beauty and cower in the shadows. Much has changed save them.

Armed with pebbles, Amber skipped them across the river of sand. Silverheart, Thunderblade and herself, Amberwing kept a sentient eye across the desert. They were the last of the guides for the lost.

"I see the Elric brothers, they are on their way here, prepare for their arrival, we will have much to discuss", known simply as the Vessel, a young girl appeared at Amber's elbow, "I see you have tried contacting them." Amber asked as she shielded her eyes. The Vessel nodded in reply and Amber went back to skipping pebbles. From the faint chiming of anklets, she knew that the Vessel had left her in her own company.

At some distance, Silver sharpened his sword. Snow-white hair fell over his tanned shoulders as ice blue eyes followed the movements of the whetstone as it ran over his blade. Knowing Thunder, he was probably off catching lizards and scorpions. His hulking body hid the soul of a child. Easy to laugh, and easy enough to anger, Thunder was a prize during war, blessed with the agility of a hound and the strength of a bear, he was known to break ranks with a single blow of his hammer axe which stood at least a foot taller than him and as heavy as a tree log.

As true as the air we breathe, the brothers arrived, deprived of every sense of hope and smiles, the depth of their anguish summoned the Familiars from their slumber. "It is time, fetch them." Amber instructed Thunder.

* * *

"Welcome to Verité"

The three Familiars stood in their glory in front of the awestruck boys. The drawings were true! Each of them had a red halo, upon closer inspection; one realizes that they are in fact transmutation circles, at least half a transmutation circle. The crescent shaped transmutation circles lay suspended atop their heads.

"I am Amberwing", Amber spread her golden metal tipped wings and bowed. She wore no weapons unlike her counterparts. A simple full-sleeved tunic and pants draped her slender figure. "Thunderblade was kind enough to bring you here", grinning from ear to ear, crowned with the horns of a ram, he slapped the boys on their backs and hugged their heads into his biceps. "Yo!" Thunderblade foolishly continued to smile as the boys grabbed their throbbing heads. A black sleeveless bodysuit did little to cover the bulging muscles, samurai style pants fell over laced boots. "And this is Silverheart", his long hair tied in a simple plait rested on his chest. A sheathed sword with a golden hilt hung on his hips. Edward and Alphonse could not help but notice that he dressed like the people of Ishval.

"We do not understand, what is happening?", "We have been waiting for you for over a decade, we have much to discuss."

They were guided to the central building and were met by a pair of hooded figures and the Vessel. Shock hit the brothers like a train when they grasped the fact that the young girl was naked. Out of respect, they averted their eyes when an all too familiar voice caught their attention, "Am glad you made it. Don't be shy, am as I was intended to be." Her body was no different from that of an undressed child's doll. Paper-thin metal wings, mimicking those of a dragonfly, rested against her back. Big violet eyes unblinkingly stared back at them. A full halo rested on her head, each wrist was decorated with alchemic symbols interwoven with vines. She wore only one anklet on her right foot.

The hooded figures spoke in unison, "Welcome Elric brothers. We are two of the remaining four Seers and the last descendants of the father of Blood Alchemy. We shall bestow this gift on you."

The Vessel went to the brothers and whispered in their ears, "The sky will weep soon, tears of fire will rain and the mirage will break."


	8. Chapter 6: Blood Alchemy

"Knowledge" scoffed Amber as she flew back to her perch, "they wouldn't even know knowledge from the wart on their foot!"

Sensing the confusion of their guests, Silver led them to their rooms. "Thunder has been very excited to meet you and has requested that you bunk with him for the night, I hope it will not be a problem." "No, thank you. We appreciate the gesture." Akin to a child elated to meet his childhood heroes, Thunder did a little a stupid happy dance before rushing off to get blankets. Silver shook his head as he watched the retreating figure of Thunder, "Once you have freshened yourself, join us for dinner, it has been a long wretched journey, you must be famished."

Dinner was a delightful but simple array of bread, vegetables and meats accompanied with fruit beer, "I remembered that you don't like milk Fullmetal, so I got rid of it." Thunder beamed as he patted his stomach and wiped the milk moustache off his face. Alphonse gave a weak laugh as Edward's eye twitched, "…milk"

A barrage of questions and animated answers lightened the usual grim atmosphere in the dining hall. The boys were happy to share tales of their adventures often followed by energetic clapping of Thunder and table rocking as he slammed his knee or hand against the tabletop. The already scarce staff attending to them was diving left and right like goalkeepers in vain attempts to either catch the flying cutlery or avoid being hit by food. The stoic Silver would occasionally look over to the equally engaged Amber, shake his head and sip his pint of beer.

After a night of merrymaking, the Vessel found the sleeping guests and the Familiars in the dining hall. Amber, Thunder and the Elric brothers were piled up together near the now dying embers while Silver was leaning against the wall with one hand on his sword. Gently nudging Silver awake, she told him to wake the others and to meet the Seers in the great hall. An hour later after much kicking and screaming Silver managed to drag his disheveled guests and team before the Seers. If anyone doubted Silver's strength, should witness him hauling Thunder across the room.

"You are awake, am glad. Forgive me for not meeting you yesterday. I am the Over-Seer, I see you have met the Familiars. How may I help you?" an old man in dark robes spoke. His wrinkled face cracked up in a gentle smile. A quizzical look found its place on the young men's faces, "I thought you were expecting us…" Alphonse looked at the Familiars as he asked the question. A frowning brow replaced the ephemeral smile when Thunder quickly chipped in, "Yea, Amber spotted you in the distance. Didn't you say you were seeking information on Blood Alchemy?" Noting the shift in topic, Edward took lead and respectfully told the Over-Seer that they read the limited literature on Blood Alchemy and wanted to know more about it.

The Over-Seer beckoned them to come forward, "Ah, the Blood Alchemy. What do you understand of it? That it is the manipulation of blood? My dear boys, it is much more than that. Perhaps we should retire to my chambers and talk with ease and in depth."

"Alchemy you understand is the manipulation of matter governed by certain unbreakable laws. The forbidden of all is human transmutation. By law of equivalent exchange, to perform human transmutation, you have to lose something, the only way you can do it without losing anything on your person is through a Philosopher's Stone, but what if there was another way? Am sure this question has eaten your brain raw, hasn't it?" the Over-Seer huffed on his pipe as his words dropped like acid, without skipping a beat the old man continued. "Blood Alchemy taps into the realm of Truth. We simply borrow the energy from Truth to do better. The Seers and I cannot directly borrow the energy so a medium is required, hence the Familiars. You must be far more confused…oh the Vessel is here, she told me that she wanted to take you for a walk, go, it will freshen your mind."

The moment the boys stepped into the light, they found Amber with a crushed apple in her hand, "What half baked lies have they told you?" "Calm down Amber, I trust you to tell them all they need to know. Once you have regained some energy, join us for a walk."

* * *

As they sat under the shade of an aged tree, the Vessel drew a circle in the middle. "The human body is the perfect composition of the elements of nature. It comprises of water, metal, fire, earth, wind. The mind is responsible for balancing the dark and light in you. The soul in very simple terms is the fuel that runs the body. When human transmutation takes place, this balance is disrupted, hence something of equal value is taken to restore the balance and as a deterring factor." Pausing to draw concentric circles in the sand, the Vessel continued, "Now, like everything, the realm has certain cracks through which one may enter. The Over-Seer tried that but lost his child in the process." Drawing lines from the centre of the circles to the outer, the Vessel continued, "Energy cannot die, it just gets transformed. The body parts or souls that the Truth takes as payment is actually a source of energy but the price paid for using it is much higher and thus forbidden. The Truth is a cruel master, It does not like to tell you what you need to learn, it makes you learn it for yourself so that you can truly understand its value."

"Blood Alchemy uses the balance and energy of the body and converts it to anything of use, be it weapons or healing. I think the Familiars will demonstrate it better." Following the lead, Amber stood up and removed her bracelets that revealed deep scars on her wrists; taking out a well-hidden dagger, she cut a deep gash into her hand. The brothers' eyes grew wide in shock as she calmly let the blood pool into her palm. She flashed them a mischievous smile as the crimson liquid began to boil and move as though it had life of its own, they watched as it shaped itself first into an arrowhead then the shaft. In a moment, in the centre of her bloody palm lay an arrow. Silver stood up next and in a similar method, fashioned a bow for the arrow. Thunder, not going down without theatrics, stood up, cracked his knuckles, and flexed his muscles before a rage of energy forced a blade to split the skin of his hand and his upper arm was replaced by armour. Thus began the battle of one upping each other- Amber's finger tore open while silver talons ate her fingertips to the base of her fingers. Thunder revved up and turned into an armoured beast.

Having had enough of their childish tactics, Silver changed his hand into a broadsword and impaled his teammates. The brutal act blew the wind out of the brothers as they saw the other two Familiars gasping for air, their legs kicking the ground and finally stopping. As coolly as Silver had impaled his teammates, he sat down and wiped off the blood. Their mingled blood snaked its way to the horrified boys. Edward protectively guarded his brother when the irritated Silver snapped, "Come you two, we are running out of time." A low groan was followed by a cough as the felled Familiars began to stir, blood trickling from the corners of their mouth.

"Do not alarmed, this is the next part of the story you need to be told. I wanted them to demonstrate their powers." The Vessel soothingly told the boys as they watched the offensive open-mouthed wounds heal leaving but a scar. "The blood consists of water and minerals, with a manipulation of the iron in the blood or the calcium in the bones; we can either transform parts of the body into weapons or mold weapons out of them. You once said, some hands are meant to give life, similarly, we can even heal bodies, we cannot bring back the dead, that is a law that we also cannot break but with some alterations, we can, in a manner, sew you back.

"The time of the past was beautiful, wish you could see it from your own eyes. Maybe it will be possible for us to share our memories with you." Silver's brow furrowed in thought, nodding in agreement the Vessel asked the boys to stretch out their hands. Upon doing so in the centre of their palms she drew the alchemic symbols for decompose and day intersecting in the centre and an outer circle with the symbols of moon and sun. "Turn."

After the blinding white light, the brothers woke to a busy street laden with overflowing carts and the air was heavy with conversation and laughter. The Familiars dressed in full armour mingled with the travelers, playing with the children. The Seers had set up a clinic in the middle of the market where they attended to people or helped make them replacements for lost limbs, they conjured transmutation circles out of thin air over the missing limb and a functioning mechanical arm took its place. Nearby were more Familiars, all bearing the same insignia of a skeletal Ouroboros in the shape of infinity with a crown on their shoulders. Slowly, the happy environment began to fade. Instead of carts of fresh fruit, lay piles of bodies and a familiar yet unrecognizable figure sat among them, laughing as it picked up fistfuls of flesh and smeared them across its face. A murder of crows picked at the carcasses of the broken Familiars mocking those who still lived. An evil smile spread across the creature's face as its gaze burned through the boys' heads.

Screaming in agony, the brothers woke in the present. "What are you?" Edward asked as he coughed up blood. "We are the Originals, Second Wave. You might as well know," Silver stopped for a moment before Thunder picked up where he left off, "To successfully perform Blood Alchemy, you need a medium that will act as a portal to this world and the other. The Seers, entered into a bond with Truth that in place of their bodies, they can get a Familiar that will be a vessel for souls, for a period, the Seers are fit to use their powers as they please and they will draw the energy from the Familiars. The catch is, once the time is up, the bodies of the Seers, the Familiars will begin to crystallize with each use, and soon they will turn to dust. However, this knowledge was only limited to the Familiars but knowing that their lives would be put to good use, they did not breathe a word to the Seers but when it was time for them to die, the Familiars would transfer their remaining powers to another Familiar so that the Seer could continue their good work. Mind you, the Seers could not escape the natural cycle of death, the more they use the powers, quicker Death will knock on their doors, they live twenty years less than what they would have. To protect the art from being misused, the memories of the people were altered a bit so they would not try to replicate the art and injure themselves. Very select few were gifted to be able to use alchemy without a transmutation circle. It sounds ideal yes? You were told that the price for borrowing the energy was higher; for every soul borrowed by the Familiar, the Familiar has to live through all the pain suffered by not only that soul but also all others it is connected to, three times over; even our bodies are borrowed, so once we die, we will become part of the energy too. We have known you ever since you tried to bring your mother back."


	9. Chapter 7: Fall of Ouroboros

Edward's head throbbed trying to make sense of all that was told to them, was it a joke? It could not be…"What of the Seers?", "In very simple terms, they are power users living in the delusion of grandeur ever since one of the returning travelers called them Seers because a fluke blessing came true." Disdain dripped from every word uttered from Amber's mouth. Edward glanced over to his brother who was visibly uncomfortable and stopping himself from puking.

As coolly and as collected could be Alphonse asked whether the Vessel too was a Familiar and what had happened to the beautiful city. Slapping his knee, Thunder exclaimed, "The Over-Seer happened! That's what happened!" They went on to explain that the Over-Seer was nothing more than a grubby merchant who through unscrupulous means found a shard of the Philosopher's Stone. He used it to wreak havoc and siphoned off the lives and energies of some of the Familiars and one of the Seers. This drove away all the people and the remaining Familiars were forced to close the doors of the city forever, until the brothers.

It was hard to figure who should be believed, they may be non-believers but both Edward and Alphonse could not deny what their eyes saw, they were dealing with supernatural forces, "How did we come here to be? Why are we here?" Alphonse asked.

"The Vessel is a fragment of Truth, she is the purest energy there is. But we are all running out of time, you have come witness the last arc of this story. You were brought here to experience the true power of knowledge."

"Edward, Alphonse, my children, where are you?" the Over-Seer peered over at the group. Patting the boys on their backs, "Enjoying the stories I see…that is good. Come, come, tell me all that you have heard, I will be able to help separate fact from fiction." In a sweeping motion, the Over-Seer tried to usher them into the hall when Alphonse caught a glimpse of the shard of Philosopher's Stone fastened onto the old man's waist.

"They must have painted me as an awful man, but I am just an old man trying to make the world a better place. Imagine a world where we could cure each other without losing those important to us or without losing ourselves. It is a lonely perilous journey, and all this power, what use is it if you cannot use it the way it was intended for?" The Over-Seer looked distraught as he stroked his chin and with a very heavy sigh got up.

As he looked about the room, Edward came across the recognizable drawing of the transmutation circle to make the Philosopher's Stone, it had been tweaked so the ultimate goal of the transmutation was unknown but Edward knew enough that it spelt disaster. Excusing themselves, the brothers went out in the garden to discuss what all they had learnt. The story told by the Familiars and the Vessel was too fantastic to be concocted, and the stone was enough to tell the brothers that the Over-Seer was up to no good.

Dinner was another jolly affair; all the worries of the day were forgotten, everyone ate and drank merrily as though there was no tomorrow. If only the brothers knew how true it was.

* * *

The Last Arc

A long bang followed by a cacophony of screams and howls disrupted the merrymaking, grabbing their weapons, the Familiars made a run for the great hall. The Over-Seer stood with a spear pierced through one of the Seers, "You shall not stop me, I am the all powerful Over-Seer! You are all beneath me, all of you! My dream of an ideal world shall come true, you shall either join in the wondrous afterlife or perish where you stand, I do not care. I can no longer wait, the last of the puzzle are here, Edward, Alphonse, lend me your blood, body and soul. Help me usher in a new world order!" Like a rabid dog, spit flew the Over-Seer's mouth as flayed his head, eyes lusting for more blood and death.

The Familiars formed a protective barricade around the brothers as they stood their ground, "Farewell Fullmetal and little one." Thunder goofily smiled at them for the last time. Using the Stone, the Over-Seer killed off the remaining Seers and in a smooth stroke, separated Thunder's smiling head from his body. Lathering at his mouth, the deranged old man gulped down a cocktail of liquid Philosopher's Stone and the essence of Homunculi. He laughed as his body contorted and began to mutate beyond recognition.

There was no time left to mourn. The brothers found themselves pounding against a protective shield as Silver and Amber shared their last smiles before heading to fight the unleashed monster.

Soaked in blood and injured, the Vessel emerged from within the great hall and staggered over to the brothers. "Forgive me", she smiled weakly as she borrowed some the boys' energy. Her human skin turned translucent, her eyes completely white and radiating from her centre, spreading throughout her body was just pure energy. With each pulse it got stronger, spreading till her fingertips. With the last ounce of strength, she attacked the Over-Seer, crippling him with a punch to the jaw and neck. Before he could rear back and attack, the Vessel fused herself with him and pulsated energy beyond what he could take.

The boys' sunk to their knees, their hands sore as they saw the Vessel and the Over-Seer burst with the Vessel completely consuming him. All that was left was the ghost of her. They were in a defeated battlefield, the only survivors with a tale so grand that they could not tell others.


	10. Epilogue: A Parting Gift

It was surreal. In a minute the hard ground they were standing on, turned to soft sand, the blue sky shed rare tears. All that was left was the blood on their clothes.

"Wait, we have something for you" came the kind voice of the Vessel. Like a mirage that slowly comes into focus before tired travelers, the three Familiars and the Vessel dressed in pure white, stood in front of the young men.

"We have unfinished business with you. It was necessary for you to go through every agony you lived through, only when you faced your demons, could you find peace. You have to let go of the past; you have to forgive yourself. We ask your forgiveness that the only way we could contact you was through your dreams, we could not show ourselves to you but only show you the path that despite all the troubles you have faced, the sun rises. Edward, you made the selfless act of giving up your alchemy to save your brother, we give it back to you." The door Edward happily and willingly traded for his brother appeared before him, "Alchemy is a blessing in the hands of the gifted and both you brothers have time and again proved your worth. One last thing, we have to seal your memories save this."

"My sons…" the laughing voice of their mother floated to them and next to her stood everyone they lost-their father, Nina, Hughes, all their friends stood there. Neither Edward nor Alphonse would make out whether they were crying or laughing, all they could remember was the warmth of everyone they loved.

* * *

For the years to come the brothers could not remember the adventure of the city of Amasqe or Verité but they were left with a profound sense of peace and just like Mustang partially got his vision back, the return of Edward's alchemy remained another unsolved mystery but was a very welcomed gift.


End file.
